What’s That Fuzzy-Looking Thing? Addition to Nest’s Signs – Trying Something New

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Jim Duncan

Y’all know I love Nest’s signs. It’s been a while since we’ve played with the design, other than refinements here and there.

With all the technology in the world, homebuyers still drive through neighborhoods looking for homes. Thus:

Real estate signs matter.

Mobile is huge. And getter huger:

Google Trends_ iphone, android, blackberry

Finally, I get to try something new …

Nest Realty Group Signs

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QR Code

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Trying QR Codes on our new listings

Old school – or tried and true – works and cannot be discounted.

Real estate signs matter.

Real-estate-signs-matter-2.jpg

If you have an iPhone, these are some QR Code readers; for you Android users, these are a few. Blackberry folks (I am one) try these QR code readers.

Thanks to vyoo.it for providing the “quick and easy“.

* PS – is this a form of “soliciting business”? Maybe, sure, what’swrongwiththat? I’ve had questions over the years asking what I do besides write a kick-butt Charlottesville real estate blog. I’m a Charlottesville Realtor with a writing problem, and a pretty good one at that.

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  • reader

    If I’m not mistaken, Wired Magazine started the “weird little fuzzy thing” (or maybe it was Esquire?).
    Your signs are well done.
    Nice, “ah ha” moment.
    Good for “The Long Tail”.

    Oh, Wired also just said that “the internet is dead”.
    Guess we’ll have to go back to old school newspapers.

    • http://realcentralva.com Jim

      After doing some extensive research, I cannot verify the origin of the “little fuzzy thing” line. But … I don’t remember every seeing it used anywhere, so I’ll claim it. :)

      Newspapers, like Realtors, could go way of the dinosaurs, but won’t because valuable and quality ones will always be able to provide useful services for their respective audiences/customers.

  • Weekly Real Estate

    Planned to comment on this a while ago…

    I noticed print ads/home magazines are solidly in the top 10 sources used for a home search…just sayin’. :-)

    Oh, and QR codes have been big in Japan for some time. It was Esquire who first used one on a cover: http://www.esquire.com/cover-detail?year=2009&month=12

  • Weekly Real Estate

    Ah! But that’s exhibit 3-6…not exhibit 3-3 posted above “Information Sources Used in Home Search.”

    Of course an actual person is a more USEFUL source of information!

  • reader

    I’d like to see the data set and methodology on that chart. The billboard inventory in Charlottesville is small. You see more of that type of medium along SoCal highways.

    Not surprising considering NAR is casting a wide net. The ills of NYT or Media General aren’t necessarily applicable to hyper-local newspapers. Much the same if we said SoCal or Florida real estate markets are the same as Ednam.

    • http://realcentralva.com Jim Duncan

      reader –

      I asked the NAR for the answer to your question –

      In July 2009, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® mailed an eight -page questionnaire to 120,038 consumers who purchased a home between July 2008 and June 2009. The survey yielded 9,138 usable responses with a response rate, after adjusting for undeliverable addresses, of 7.9 percent. Consumer names and addresses were obtained from Experian, a firm that maintains an extensive database of recent home buyers derived from county records. Information about sellers comes from those buyers who also sold a home.

      All information in this Profile is characteristic of the 12-month period ending June 2009, with the exception of income data, which are reported for 2008. In some sections comparisons are also given for results obtained in previous surveys. Not all results are directly comparable due to changes in questionnaire design and sample size. Some results are presented for the four U.S. Census regions: Northeast, Midwest, South and West. The median is the primary statistical measure used throughout this report. Due to rounding and omissions for space, percentage distributions may not add to 100 percent.

      ➤ E xhibits 3-3 through 3-6

      Nine out of ten home buyers used the Internet as one of the information sources in their home search process. First-time home buyers were even more likely to use the Internet. A real estate agent was the second most frequently cited information source with 87 percent of home buyers talking to an agent. Three percent more first-time home buyers than agent as a source of information. Buyers of new homes were less likely to talk to an agent although agents are among the top two information sources for buyers of new or previously owned homes. The third most frequently used source is the yard sign with six in ten buyers indicating that it was their source of information.

      When grouped by age, the Internet continues to be increasingly popular among all buyers. Among buyers 65 or older the share using the Internet rose by 6 percentage points compared with the year before. Use of real estate agents as an information source was broadly consistent across all age groups ranging from 82 percent for those 65 years and older to 88 percent among those 18 to 24 years old.

      Frequent use of the Internet and real estate agents by most buyers largely stems from their usefulness in the home buying process. Still, while last year buyers thought that the Internet and real estate agents were equally useful, in 2009, buyers found real estate agents more useful. Eighty-one percent of buyers ranked agents as a very useful source of information compared with 77 percent who ranked the Internet as very useful.